Breakfast at Café Fleur

At a time when many would be considering early retirement, I bucked the trend and purchased my first ever flat. This like everywhere I’ve resided since first moving to Wandsworth 25 years ago, is about 400 yards from my first ever address ithe vicinity.

It is though about 800 yards from my last flat, and boy in London does that make a difference. In the country the local shops might be 8 miles away, in London a few streets and you might as well have switched planets.

All the shops, cafes, pubs etc. that I was used to are now a bit of a hike away from my new address, and so it’s now up to me to find alternatives. One that I was happy to experiment with was Café Fleur on St. Anne’s Hill.

There has been a Café Fleur on this site for some time but has only existed in this incarnation for 18 months or so having been purchased by the team behind Northcote road’s Tamara and Garratt Lane’s Bean and Hop.

The interior is light, good looking and a bit cramped with more table than floor space it seemed, whilst the menu is a fusion of Lebanese and traditional, all washed down with lashings of sourdough. Everything is brunch and the cost ranges from £7 for a bacon sandwich up to £12/13 for more elaborate dishes.

I contemplated the options whilst swigging from a swiftly ordered flat white. Like its siblings, Café Fleur does a decent drop of coffee, probably the best in the neighbourhood, though Press on East Hill might just tip it for the crown. There were egg-based things, halloumi-based things, things with bacon…but disappointingly no things with smoked salmon or granola, both of which are offered at Bean and Hop.

I was about to opt for a sausage butty from the shallow end of the menu, when the manager intervened and upsold me to chorizo eggs, served on sourdough (what else) with avocado (do other plants exist?) This was a substantial premium on my original choice retailing at £12 rather than £7.50, and I hoped it was going to be worth it.

I think all locations in this nano-chain are licensed, which I find odd for establishments that close in the middle of the afternoon. It must be said though I have witnessed plenty of day drinking including breakfast sessions within them.

As my flat white became but a memory, my brunch arrived…a masterpiece in miniature, a feast fit for a Lego King. I jest slightly, but it was more of Rishi than Boris proportions, and though nice tasting with good quality ingredients it had been in my view adapted to the less is more school of thought to deal with rising ingredient costs. One thing that had improved was the sourdough toast, now thin and crispy rather than brick like, it now added flavour rather than bulk to the meal.

The bill when it arrived seemed to be where many of the calories were hiding out, coming in at £20. Many might be happy paying this, but for 2 coffees and a dish it seems steep to me and I’m only paying for myself, imagine taking the tribe out for this.

The food is good though, and the atmosphere pleasant so if you want a treat or you’ve just unlocked your equity, Café Fleur might be for you.

Café Fleur, 198 St Ann’s Hill, Greater, London SW18 2RT

www.cafefleur.co.uk